When decorating a home or office, the number one item that’s either neglected or overworked are the walls. Most people put too many items on a wall to decorate it, giving it a cluttered look. Wall art is just that, an art, and should be placed strategically to give the room appeal.

Let’s take a look at how to use wall art when decorating, particularly Asian wall art. If you’ve ever wanted to redecorate a room, and give it an Eastern feel, you can start with a beautiful piece of wall art to get your decorating ball going, and then build from that to bring the room together.

For instance, if you choose a piece for your dining room, you can start with the walls, and move to the table. Let’s say you decide on a Chinese scroll designed with rich reds and golds. Red and gold are very appealing for a dining room, as they build appetite, and would work perfectly in that setting. Now that you’ve chosen your wall art, you can add pieces to accent the art, greenery and perhaps a few Feng Shui coins, and then build your table setting around that. Find plates, bowls, etc., in the same rich red or gold color of your wall decoration. Focusing on a color scheme will make the decorating process much easier, as you have something to build on. You don’t want too many colors colliding, the room should be as simple and clutter free as possible.

Maybe in a living room, you’ve decided to add a beautiful wood cuckoo clock. You could build on that, and place figurines or statuettes on a small table underneath the clock to highlight that particular piece.

Whatever you choose to display, it should be placed in the best possible angle for lighting and view. Always place pictures at eye level, so that you can see the picture without having to glance up or down. They should be perfectly set to gaze at naturally without shifting your head. Pictures or wall art should also be treated as the center of attention. You don’t choose accessories and then a picture. You choose a picture first, and then accessories to offset that picture, and make it stand out.

Also keep in mind that if you plan to add wall decorations to a room with wood furniture, you should try to keep any wooden frames along the same color stain as the furniture. For example, if you plan to decorate a bedroom, and you have a cherry bedroom suit, then cherry stained picture frames would be best. They will accent the furniture that you have, without making it look cluttered. Too many pieces made of different materials tend to make a room look disorganized and cluttered.

Sconces are a beautiful accent for any picture. Choose sconces that are of the same material as the picture that they will hang beside. You can choose to hang two sconces at the same level, on each side of your picture, or cascade them, one being a couple inches higher than the other. This is an excellent way to show off a picture, as the cascade effect brings your attention to the picture much faster than it would if the sconces were completely level with each other.

Decorating your walls is not a hard task, and should be considered a fun job. Be sure to choose pieces that will offset your furnishings, but also look for pieces that will compliment your personality and personal style. Adding greenery or silk flowers beside pictures and mirrors is a beautiful way to show them off, and add color to your décor. Have fun when you’re choosing pieces, and remember to not add too much, just enough to have a beautiful wall, but not enough to look disorganized and cluttered. A good rule of thumb is to add one medium to larger picture, and no more than 5 pieces around that particular picture. So, if you add 2 sconces, you could add a small shelf below the picture, to house 1 or 2 small figurines. Greenery is a filler, and doesn’t count in the number, so add greenery wherever you may notice a dull or plain spot.

I’m also a regular contributing editor at NuConcept Feng Shui Store, a lot of these wall decor items in this article can be found on there at very reasonable prices. If you are serious in purchasing something from there, however, be sure to send me an Email–I have a little perk as an Editor for their articles so I can get you some discounts based on your purchase total.